The new year welcomes change and growth and this is something that Weezer takes fully on with their new studio album, “OK Human.”An album that came as a complete surprise to fans has certainly shown a different side to Weezer and frontman Rivers Cuomo. Cuomo told Kerrang! (a rock magazine) at the beginning of 2020, the plan that Weezer had laid out was to release their new rock album, “Van Weezer,” in 2020. However, due to COVID-19, they decided to hold off on the release, and with the pandemic forcing everyone to stay home according to Cuomo, the creation of Weezer’s “OK Human” began.
As a long-time fan of Weezer, I was certainly surprised to hear the sound of this new album. Weezer has replaced the shredding riffs with strings. In my opinion, this change was a good one. The album goes through multiple stories about mundane things – take for example, “Playing My Piano,” where Cuomo sings about literally playing his piano at home. It’s an album created during quarantine for those in quarantine to relate to. No wonder the studio album was titled “OK Human.”
Now, just because the sound has changed does not mean that Weezer has rebranded. In fact, “All My Favorite Songs” and “Aloo Gobi” lyrics have the classic energy that Cuomo has always brought to the band. The orchestration of “Grapes of Wrath” brings back the normal pace that Weezer’s music usually contains.
“Numbers” starts off with a powerful lyric that I find extremely relatable. Cuomo starts the song by singing, “There’s always a number that’ll make you feel bad about yourself. You try to measure up, try to measure up to somebody else.” This song specifically shows a more intimate look to what Cuomo has been thinking about.
“Dead Roses” contains a powerful orchestral arrangement with Cuomo’s vocals that demonstrate a raw display of storytelling. But before the mood dampens completely, “Here Comes The Rain” brings an uplifting mood to the album, reminding the listener that sometimes rain can help wash your troubles away.
Overall, this experiment of an album was very well executed. “OK Human” is an album that is needed now that we are all in isolation. Cuomo and company’s album brings a sense of intimacy and comfort that many of us have lost due to the pandemic, it’s the small nudge back into normalcy that we need.
